Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, and image pickup method

Abstract

A image pickup system has an image pickup apparatus including a spectral prism and two image pickup devices. The spectral prism has a spectral face formed from a dichroic film. The spectral face has spectral transmission characteristics of color filters disposed for each pixel in the image pickup devices, that is, a wavelength characteristic which divides a wavelength band of each of RGB colors. Incident light from a subject is split into two optical paths by the spectral face, and spectral images of the subject traveling in the optical paths are obtained by the image pickup devices. Thus, a plurality of spectral images can be obtained in one shot with excellent efficiency regarding the quantity of light.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A image pickup apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a splitting element for splitting incident light of a subject into a plurality of optical paths by a dichroic film and emitting split light; and    (b) a plurality of image pickup sensors each provided on said plurality of optical paths split by said splitting element, wherein each of said plurality of image pickup sensors has a spectral sensitivity characteristic having a plurality of wavelength bands, and    said dichroic film has a wavelength characteristic of dividing light components in at least one of said plurality of wavelength bands into a first portion and a second portion, and selectively transmitting said first portion.    
     
     
         2 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said plurality of wavelength bands are three wavelength bands corresponding to three primary colors.    
     
     
         3 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 each of said plurality of image pickup sensors has a color filter array in which a plurality of color filters corresponding to said plurality of wavelength bands are arranged on a photoelectric cell array.    
     
     
         4 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 array patterns of said color filter arrays of said plurality of image pickup sensors are the same.    
     
     
         5 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said dichroic film has a wavelength characteristic of splitting light components in each of said plurality of wavelength bands into a first portion and a second portion, and selectively transmitting said first portion.    
     
     
         6 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a taking lens system for forming an optical image on image pickup sensors.    
     
     
         7 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said plurality of wavelength bands are visible light bands.    
     
     
         8 . A image pickup system comprising: 
 (a) an image pickup apparatus including: 
 a splitting element for splitting incident light of a subject into a plurality of optical paths by a dichroic film and emitting split light; and  
 a plurality of image pickup sensors each provided on said plurality of optical paths split by said splitting element,  
 each of said plurality of image pickup sensors having a spectral sensitivity characteristic having a plurality of wavelength bands, and said dichroic film having a wavelength characteristic of dividing light components in at least one of said plurality of wavelength bands into a first portion and a second portion, and selectively transmitting said first portion;  
   (b) a control unit for controlling acquisition of an image signal of said subject in said image pickup apparatus, and receiving said image signal; and    (c) an image processing unit for performing a predetermined image process on said image signal outputted from said image pickup apparatus.    
     
     
         9 . The image pickup system according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 said plurality of wavelength bands are three wavelength bands corresponding to three primary colors.    
     
     
         10 . The image pickup system according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 each of said plurality of image pickup sensors has a color filter array in which a plurality of color filters corresponding to said plurality of wavelength bands are arranged on a photoelectric cell array.    
     
     
         11 . The image pickup system according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 an array patterns of said color filter arrays of said plurality of image pickup sensors are the same.    
     
     
         12 . The image pickup system according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 said dichroic film has a wavelength characteristic of splitting light components in each of said plurality of wavelength bands into said first portion and said second portion, and selectively transmitting said first portion.    
     
     
         13 . The image pickup system according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 an operating unit.    
     
     
         14 . The image pickup system according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a display unit.    
     
     
         15 . A image pickup method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) splitting incident light of a subject into a plurality of optical paths by a dichroic film and emitting split light; and    (b) receiving emitting light split in said step (a) by each of a plurality of image pickup sensors, wherein 
 each of said plurality of image pickup sensors has a spectral sensitivity characteristic having a plurality of wavelength bands, and said dichroic film has a wavelength characteristic of dividing light components of at least one of said plurality of wavelength bands into a first portion and a second portion, and selectively transmitting said first portion.